Automatic closure for sliding pole floor holes



July 31, 1951 T. s. MOINTIRE 2,562,502

AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR SLIDING POLE FLOOR HOLES Filed Aug. 24, 1950 x 3Sheets-Sheet 1 July 31, 1951 T. S. M INTIRE AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FORSLIDING POLE FLOOR HOLES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1950 July 1951.l T. s. MOINTIRE 2,562,502

AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR SLIDING POLE FLOOR HOLES 7 Filed Aug. 24, 1950 3Sheets-Shet 3 Patented July 31, 1951 AUTOMATIC CLOSURE FOR SLIDING POLEFLOOR HOLES Thomas S. McIntire, Watertown, Mass.

Application August 24, 1950, Serial No. 181,293

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sliding pole of the type whichactuate closures for the holes through which men pass when sliding 'downthe poles from one floor to another in fire andpolice stations, and thelike. Firemen, in particular, while on duty at a fire station, aresubject to momentary call and are required to be .at their respectiveposts on fire apparatus in the shortest possible time after an alarm issounded. Between calls, the men ordinarily engage themselves about thepremises and spend considerable time in quarters which usually areprovided for them on a floor above the place of garaging of the fireapparatus.

The sliding-pole method of descent from an upper to a lower floor hasbeen quite generally accepted as the best and quickest way of assemblingthe manning force for the apparatus. Also, to avoid drafts, and thedanger and discomfort which has resulted from fumes rising through opensliding pole holes to the mens quarters above the place of garaging ofthe apparatus, the more modern fire stations are equipped with pole holeclosures which automatically open to permit passage of a man through apole hole and automatically close after the man has passed through thehole.

Heretofore, however, the automatic pole-hole closures have beenrelatively noisy in operation, especially when closing. More important,however, has been the tendency for, the closures, following asubstantial period of use, to close with a gradually increasing force ofimpact of the closure elements against the sliding pole. As a result,the closures, in some cases, have roughened the surface of the pole, andfrequently the closure elements have become deformed by the repeatedforcible impacts. Such a roughened pole presents the danger of damagingthe clothing of a'man sliding down the pole or even injuring the man ifthe condition of the roughened pole is such that a cutting or scratchingprojection occurs on the pole. When there is substantial deformation "ofoneor more of the closure elements, they fail to perform effectivelytheir purpose of preventing passage of gusts of air and noxious fumes.to the mens quarters.

.It is among the objects of my present invention to improve upon theprior automatic sliding pole hole closure devices by controlling themovements "of the sliding pole which actuates the closure elements. Suchpoles are mounted for limited downward movement in response to apredetermined amount of downward pressure thereon, "such as when a mangrasps the pole and places some or all of his weight on the pole. Thedownward movement of the pole actuates the closure members to openposition so that the man can slide freely and unhampered through theopen pole hole. When the man reaches his destination and his weight isremoved from the depressed pole, it resiliently snaps back to itsoriginal elevated position with simultaneous actuation of the closureelements to positions closing the opening. According to the invention,at least a. portion of the sliding pole has cylindrical hollow form, andmeans within the hollow of the pole provides for relatively rapid butcontrolled and cushioned downward movement of the pole and relativelyslow but controlled and cushioned upward movement of the pole.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic sliding poleapparatus wherein the sliding pole has limited and controlled downwardmovement for opening pole hole closure elements and has controlledupward, retarded and cushioned movement for closing said closureelements,

and wherein the controlling, retarding and cushioning means maintainsthe pole against vibration during its closure actuating downward andupward movements.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve thestructure and operation of automatic sliding poles, and especially suchpoles whose axial movements'actuate pole hole closure elements betweenclosed and open positions.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig.1 is a top plan view of an automatic sliding pole apparatus mountedin operative relation to a pole hole in the floor of a building andembodying features of my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with portions ofvertical members broken away to conserve space;

Fig. 3 is a medial vertical cross-sectional view of the lower endportion of the sliding pole and its guide, on a substantially enlargedscale; I

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, on a largerscale;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 3, on the scale ofFig. 4, the ball valve being omitted;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 3, on the scale ofFigs. 4 and '5; and

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing one of theconnections between one of the vertical members and a closure element.

Referring to the drawings, lower and upper floors of a building areindicated respectively at H] and 12 in Fig. 2, and a sliding pole holeis indicated at [4 in upper floor 12, constituting a passageway throughwhich men on the upper floor 12 may descend to the lower floor [0. Asliding pole l6 stands vertically erect at the center of hole I 4,extending from a location well above floor l2 down to the lower level 16where its lower end is slidably engaged in the guide bracket or socketl8.

The particular sliding pole herein represented is suspended from atripod supporting structure indicated generally at 20; and a guard rail22, at a suitable elevation above floor l2, encircles the tripod andforms therewith a cage whose elements are in guarding relation to thehole [4 in floor [2. Any suitable form of gate may be provided forgetting access through the cage to the pole l6, such as the hinged guardrail sections 22a, 22b which may be held closed by the slidable sleeve220.

The sliding pole l6 has its upper end fixed in the central coupling cap24 of the tripod, and each leg of the tripod is telescoping in characterwith a fixed tubular portion 26 in which a tubu lar portion 26 ofsmaller diameter is depressible against the yielding tension of a spring36 which is housed within the outer fixed tube 26. All of thedepressible tubes 26 extend vertically upward six or more feet abovefloor i2 and have their upper portions turned inward and joined togetherby the said central coupling cap 24, whereby all move as a unit when thesliding pole I6 is depressed.

As herein illustrated, the closure for hole l4 comprises a suitablenumber of hinged segmental closure elements 32 at the under side offloor i2.

The closure elements, when closed, fit together to provide a conicalclosure around pole I6 to completely and efiectively cover the hole l4;and all are adapted to swing downwardly and outwardly to clear the wayfor a man sliding down the pole through hole l4. Each closure element 32is mounted for rotational movement about its own pivot 34, as best seenin Fig. '7, wherein the illustrated closure element is in open position,and the associated tubular portion 26 of the tripod is depressed. A link36 connects the closure element to the lower end of the tubular portion26, whereby the closure element responds to movements of tubular portion26.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 3-6, the lower end portion of poleI6 is tubular, and a cylinder 38 is fixed therein an appreciabledistance inward from the extreme lower end of the pole. A piston 40 isrelatively operable within cylinder 38 when the latter moves with poleI6, and the piston has a piston rod 42 rigid therewith and extendingthrough the lower end wall of the cylinder to a loction of fixedsecurement within the socket l8. Conveniently, the lower end of thepiston rod may have the threaded enlargement 43 thereon screwed into acup-like member 44 within socket 8, with a bolt 46, or the like,securing the member 44 and the socket l8 to the floor I0. Any suitablepacking means 46 may be provided around piston rod 42 where it extendsthrough the lower end wall of cylinder 36.

According to the invention, the cylinder 38 has a substantial quantityof oil 56, or other liquid, sealed therein, the quantity preferablynearly filling the cylinder, but leaving an appreciable air space abovethe liquid, so that an air cushion is provided at 52. Piston 46 hasconduits therein for passing oil 56 from one side to the other of thepiston as the cylinder moves relative to the piston,

and a ball valve 54 within the piston is adapted '4 to restrict thisflow of oil through the piston, particularly on each upward movement ofthe cylinder following a depression of sliding pole I6. Ball valve 54normally rests by gravity out of closing relation to any of the flowconduits through the piston and remains in that relative condition whenthe cylinder moves downward. Hence, when pole I6 is being depressed toopen the closure elements 32, ball valve 54 oifers relatively littleobstruction to the passage of oil through the piston from its upper sideto its lower side within cylinder 38. However, the piston conduitsthemselves are of a nature to ofier appreciable resistance to passage ofthe oil through the piston without preventing a suitably rapid descentof the sliding pole under the influence of a mans weight thereon. Inother words, the descent of the pole I6 is a controlled, cushioneddescent, and the final downward travel of the pole is further cushionedby the pocketed air at 52 in the upper end of cylinder 38. As a result,the downward travel of the pole l6 is a suitably rapid but smooth andcushioned movement which avoids shock to the sliding man, and to theclosure elements which open in response to the initial downward movementof the pole. As herein shown, piston to has an interior chamber 56within which the ball valve 54 is retained, and a series of conduits 58lead into this chamber from the upper end of the piston. Also, asubstantial recess 66 is provided in the upper end portion of the pistonwith a central port 62 opening into chamber 56 through the bottom wallof the recess 66. The lower end wall of the piston has the series ofports 64 opening therethrough into chamber 56, and a valve seat 66within the chamber has a series of shallow grooves 68 therein, as bestseen in Fig. 5. Hence, when valve 54 is moved downward away from seat66, oil 50 from the upper side of the piston can pass through conduits58 and port 62 into chamber 56 and thence around valve 54 and outthrough ports 64 into the lower end of the cylinder. When the cylindermoves upwardly, oil is forced through ports 64 into chamber 56 and valve54 is forced upward to its seat 66 thereby restricting upward flow pastvalve 54 to that which passes through the shallow seat grooves 68. Thedownward stroke of the pole [6 may be relatively rapid even though themovement is effectively cushioned, whereas the upward stroke of the polenecessarily will be relatively slow and retarded. However, therestricted fiow of oil, or other liquid, through the piston may be madeas much or as little as may be desired, both for the downward and upwardmovements of pole l6, by suitably selecting the number and size of theflow conduits and ports, and the number and dimensions of the seatgrooves 68.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression inthe appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist inthe invention disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus for automatically opening and closing a floor hole inresponse to axial movements of a sliding pole extending through saidhole, the combination with a sliding pole and closure means for a floorhole, of means at an end region of the pole providing a substantialchamber for holding a supply of liquid sealed within the chamber, apiston within the chamber, and relatively movable therein, said pistonhaving restricted flow passages therethrough for restricted flow ofliquid in the cylinder from one side to the other of the piston, a valvewithin the piston operative to permit substantial restricted flow ofliquid through all of said flow passages when the sliding pole moves inone axial direction, and operative to substantially reduce liquid flowthrough the piston when the sliding pole moves in the oppositedirection, and resilient means biasing the sliding pole in said oppositedirection.

2. In an automatic sliding pole apparatus having a sliding pole movableaxially to open floor hole closure elements in response to the weight ofa man sliding down the pole, the combination with a said pole, of acylinder with piston therein of which one is rigidly connected to saidpole and the other is relatively fixed, a body of liquid sealed withinsaid cylinder, there being flow passages through said piston forrestricted flow of liquid from one side to the other thereof when saidpole moves in one axial direction, valve means in 6 said pistonoperative to further restrict liquid flow through the piston when saidpole moves in the opposite direction, and means for moving the :pole insaid opposite direction following release of the pole after a movementthereof in said one axial direction.

THOMAS S. McINTlRE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,488,413 Towse Mar. 25, 19241,952,178 Mclntire Mar. 27, 1934 2,393,559 Pappas Jan. 22, 19462,397,640 Bingham Apr. 2, 1946

